Bundt cake
Encyclopedia
A bundt cake is a dessert
cake
that is baked in a bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ridged ring. The d in "bundt" is assimilated into the t. The term is used chiefly in North America.
It would appear that "bundt" is derived from the German Bundkuchen (in Southern Germany and Austria called Gugelhupf
, in Switzerland Gugelhopf), a ring-shaped tea-time cake
. The word bundt appears as early as 1901 in The Settlement Cookbook, written by Lizzie Kander of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. Bundt is used instead of bund in a recipe for "Bundt Kuchen." The aluminium
bundt pan is a variation of ceramic cake forms that were used in Germany, Austria, and Hungary to make the ring-shaped cakes and was trademarked in 1950 by H. David Dalquist
, founder of Nordic Ware
, based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
, who developed it at the request of members of the Hadassah
Society's chapter in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The old-world pans, with fluted and grooved sides, made of delicate ceramic
or cast iron
, were heavy and therefore difficult to use. He modified some existing Scandinavia
n pan designs and fashioned the pan out of aluminium.
The pan sold somewhat slowly until a Pillsbury-sponsored baking contest in 1966 saw a bundt cake win second place. This prompted a scramble for the pans, causing them to surpass the tin Jell-O
mold to become the most-sold pan in the United States
. Since introduction, more than 50 million bundt pans have been sold by the Nordic Ware company.
The women of the Hadassah Society called them "bund pans". The German word bund in bundkuchen originated either from bundling or wrapping the cake's dough around the pan's centre hole or because a bund is a gathering of people. (In both German words, the final d is pronounced like a t.) Dalquist trademarked the word bundt, and Pillsbury licensed the name in 1970 for a line of cake mixes.
In early 2007, some of the original bundt pans were taken into the Smithsonian Institution's
collection.
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
that is baked in a bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ridged ring. The d in "bundt" is assimilated into the t. The term is used chiefly in North America.
It would appear that "bundt" is derived from the German Bundkuchen (in Southern Germany and Austria called Gugelhupf
Gugelhupf
A Gugelhupf or Gugelhopf is a southern German, Austrian, Swiss and Alsatian term for a marble cake or Bundt cake. The part "Gugel-" is a variation of the Middle High German word Kugel...
, in Switzerland Gugelhopf), a ring-shaped tea-time cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
. The word bundt appears as early as 1901 in The Settlement Cookbook, written by Lizzie Kander of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Bundt is used instead of bund in a recipe for "Bundt Kuchen." The aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
bundt pan is a variation of ceramic cake forms that were used in Germany, Austria, and Hungary to make the ring-shaped cakes and was trademarked in 1950 by H. David Dalquist
H. David Dalquist
H. David Dalquist was the inventor of the Bundt cake pan, sold by his company Nordic Ware. After the cakes became very popular due to winning the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-off, Dalquist licensed the name to Pillsbury for use in their cake mixes. He later helped develop thermoset plastics used in...
, founder of Nordic Ware
Nordic Ware
Nordic Ware is a company based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota that introduced the Bundt cake pan in 1950. It was founded in 1946 by H. David Dalquist....
, based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,126 people, 20,782 households, and 10,557 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,122.5 persons per square mile . There were 21,140 housing units at an average density of 1,975.0 per square mile...
, who developed it at the request of members of the Hadassah
Hadassah
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America is an American Jewish volunteer women's organization. Founded in 1912 by Henrietta Szold, it is one of the largest international Jewish organizations, with around...
Society's chapter in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The old-world pans, with fluted and grooved sides, made of delicate ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
or cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, were heavy and therefore difficult to use. He modified some existing Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n pan designs and fashioned the pan out of aluminium.
The pan sold somewhat slowly until a Pillsbury-sponsored baking contest in 1966 saw a bundt cake win second place. This prompted a scramble for the pans, causing them to surpass the tin Jell-O
Jell-O
Jell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....
mold to become the most-sold pan in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Since introduction, more than 50 million bundt pans have been sold by the Nordic Ware company.
The women of the Hadassah Society called them "bund pans". The German word bund in bundkuchen originated either from bundling or wrapping the cake's dough around the pan's centre hole or because a bund is a gathering of people. (In both German words, the final d is pronounced like a t.) Dalquist trademarked the word bundt, and Pillsbury licensed the name in 1970 for a line of cake mixes.
In early 2007, some of the original bundt pans were taken into the Smithsonian Institution's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
collection.